Ducks F Trevor Zegras leaves game abruptly, ruled out with lower-body injury

Chris

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Vegas Golden Knights v Anaheim Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Just when Trevor Zegras seemed to be on his way to becoming a true NHL two-player, the Anaheim forward suffered another injury.

The Ducks can only hope that his latest setback isn't severe enough to interrupt Zegras' promising start to the season.

Zegras suffered a lower-body injury in Anaheim's 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night and appeared unable to put any weight on his injured leg as he left the ice early in the second period.

coach Greg Cronin had no update after the game on Zegras, who will undergo further testing on Thursday.

“It’s disappointing,” Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said. “It’s hard for a teammate to see one of your guys go down. We are a family here and we all think of each other. “Z” is a big part of the team. I hope he’s okay, but every time you see someone go down, you feel compassion for them.”

The cause of Zegras' injury was unclear, but it was not a collision. After a faceoff in the Anaheim defensive zone, he spun and fell awkwardly as he and William Karlsson momentarily tangled their sticks and skates. Zegras immediately flagged down to Anaheim's bench and he needed help getting off the ice.

The 23-year-old Zegras is best known for his puck-handling creativity and scoring goals in the “Michigan” lacrosse style, but this could be his third serious injury in just over a year. He was only able to play in 31 games last season due to two injuries, including a broken ankle that required surgery.

“Hopefully he'll be fine in the long term,” said Fowler, who returned Wednesday after an 11-game injury layoff.

Zegras had played in all 23 games for Anaheim this season, scoring four goals and six assists. More importantly, he has made significant progress in handling his defensive responsibilities and in his overall offensive approach after years of struggling to play a consistent two-way game between bursts of offensive creativity.

Zegras was the ninth overall pick in the 2019 draft. He scored 59 goals in 235 games over the last five seasons in Anaheim.

With Zegras' departure, Anaheim was without two of its most talented young offensive players due to injuries.

Leo Carlsson, the Ducks' teenage playmaker, also missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. Earlier on Wednesday, Carlsson became the youngest player to be called up to the Swedish squad for the four-nation clash in February.

“When you lose a player, it disrupts the flow of the game,” Cronin said. “We don't give different instructions whether 'Z' is in or out or whether Leo is in or out. (We) try to play the same way. Simplification is really what we want to pursue.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL


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